Love It or List It and Other Popular Home-Related Shows

Across the United States, there are many TV lovers who spend a majority of their time watching sports or the latest drama series on their favorite networks. While these are certainly entertaining, there are many others who are fixed to reality TV shows, but not the kind that require individuals to navigate a multitude of obstacles. What else is there? Shows related to the home.

 

Aside from the on-screen appeal of these shows, many individuals are interested for various reasons. With many homeowners for instance, they may be big on the “do-it-yourself” phenomenon and many of these shows have elements that they can incorporate in their homes without enlisting the services of a contractor. On the other hand, there may be some who are intent on hiring someone to make some upgrades, but they are interested in seeing the vision of others come to life before making that step.

 

Here are a few of the more popular shows on television that are related to the home and its surroundings:

 

Love It or List It

It goes without saying that there is going to be some form of disagreement between members of a household at some point or another – what may be uncommon, however, is conflict associated with the place of residence. Love It or List – a Canadian-based show which airs on HGTV in the United States – showcases this rift in a very appealing way. So appealing is the show that it is the favorite of a very high profile individual.

 

 

 

The series which is based in Toronto and its surrounding communities showcases a different family in each episode. In each, one member of the residence is intent on leaving (in most cases because the home can no longer meet their ideal level of comfort) and another is convinced that renovations can be made to make it work. This is where the experts/hosts step in – home designer Hilary Farr and realtor David Visentin.

 

 

Each episode is essentially a challenge between the two professionals, as both are given a “check list” by the home owners of what renovations need to be made for them to stay at the residence or relocate to another, which is how the concept of “Love It” or “List It” comes into play. The on-screen chemistry and playful banter between the two is quite entertaining for viewers, but Hilary has reigned supreme in the show’s six seasons thus far, winning 69 challenges to David’s 49.

 

Property Brothers

Another Canadian-based show on the list is Property Brothers, and despite being on the air for just three seasons is already climbing up the ranks as one of the more popular home-related shows on television. Similar to Love It or List It, it airs on HGTV in the States.

 

Twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott share center stage in this production, with Drew the real estate expert and Jonathan the more technical one – a licensed contractor (though in real life Jonathan is also a certified real estate agent). In each episode the brothers meet with clients who know what it is that they want for an ideal “dream home” that they would want to buy, but the properties they generally look cost more than what they budgeted for.

 

 

This is where the expertise of the brothers comes into play, as they first look for properties – “fixer-uppers” – that can accommodate all that their clients want. Once a property has been identified, Drew negotiates the purchase and Jonathan wields his magic (alongside crews of course) to get the property as close to the mark of a dream house as possible – all while working with a confined budget and set time-frame. Needless to say, more often than not they manage to get the job done.

 

• Other exploits

It should be noted that their success with this production has propelled the twin brothers towards even more on-air time on the network – Buying and Selling with the Property Brothers and Brother vs Brother. Interestingly, the latter of the two has the brothers square-off against each other, which is an interesting twist considering that they are generally working together to achieve a particular goal.

 

The show starts with each brother acting as mentors to their respective teams of five members each – aspiring renovators – with the challenge to have the greater impact in raising the value of similar properties. Each victory pushes one team closer to the grand prize of $50,000, while each defeat makes it harder for the other, as they are forced to eliminate a team member.

 

The Victory Garden

It would be difficult to complete a list of popular shows about the home and not include one that has been running for over 30 years – The Victory Garden. Throughout the years, the show has had a number of hosts, but there is one factor that remains constant – the high quality of the advice delivered.

 

 

The current host of the show is Jamie Durie and he, alongside a familiar cast which includes resident horticulturalist Kip Anderson, provide viewers with expert gardening tips that they can use to spruce up their own residence. The show is notably all-rounded, as viewers are also provided with insight related to eating healthy, organic food, as well as tips in the craft of masonry. Such a show is particularly big amongst the “stay at home moms”, but expectedly appeals to everyone who has such interests – male or female.

 

 

Love It or List It and Other Popular Home-Related Shows